8 Ways to Hide Your Valuables in Plain Sight

Home security can be tricky business. Sure, you can buy a safe to store and fireproof your most sensitive and valuable items, but what about that “in between” stuff that might look like worthy loot to a thief, but won’t fit into these secure places?

It’s a conundrum that we all face, but, lucky for us, there are plenty of creative ideas out there to help hide your most beloved items in plain sight.

In the past, we’ve shown you how to make a $3 secret safe using your electrical outlets, as well as some pretty brilliant—and burglar-proof! —hide-a-key hacks, but today’s hiding places are by the far the most convenient. In fact, they’re hidden spots that are so “unhidden,” you’ll have to remind yourself that your grandmother’s engagement ring is safely ensconced in your candle!

Confused yet? Read on, and you’ll see what we mean…

The Beverage Bottle Safe

Unless the burglar who sneaks into your home is super thirsty, chances are he or she won’t get anywhere near your Gatorade stash. This fact alone makes it one of the best places to hide your most treasured items!

Get started by pouring about half of the dark drink into a separate holding container. Next, glue the top of a small bottle (the travel-sized plastic ones work well) to the inside lid with super glue. While you’re waiting for it to dry, place your items in the bottle and, when everything is set, screw the lower half on and pour the remaining liquid into the big bottle. You’ll quickly discover that the smaller bottle is completely imperceptible. Genius!

The Candle Safe

Another item that robbers wouldn’t think of ransacking is a candle. Yep, we have yet to hear of any candle bandits terrorizing our neck of the woods!

To make your own candle safe, select one that is large (the three wick, round variety works best), and turn it over so that the bottom is facing you. Next, hand-drill a hole using a 1 ½” spade. Keep boring until you can fit an old medicine bottle inside containing your valuables. If the candle came equipped with a sticker, place it back on and no one will be the wiser. Pro tip: Don’t forget to retire that candle for good. If you burn it, the items inside might get hot and melt!

The Denim Safe

Are you known to place your sensitive digital material on jump drives? If so, don’t leave those things in your junk drawer for a thief to find—hide it in a pair of old jeans instead!

Using a precision knife, make a small slice along the waistline of the denim, right where your belt would normally sit. Next, slide the drive deep into the hollowed out area and place back in your closet for safe keeping. That’s a James Bond move, if we’ve ever seen one!

The Cassette Case Safe

If you’re not confident in your DIY skills, no worries, you can still secure your valuables just as well as the rest of us. In fact, the hardest thing about this hack is that you’ll have to get your hands on a cassette tape—yep, we don’t have too many of those laying around anymore either!

All you need to do is remove the tape and slip your small item inside the case. If your item is flat, you can even re-insert the tape for extra security. Trust us, a cassette tape box is the last place a thief will look…

We just think all of these DIY safe ideas are brilliant. What makes them even better is that many can be used in hotel rooms in addition to your home. Time to take these tricks on the road!

To get the full tutorials on these valuable-hiding hacks—and to get 4 more bonus ideas! —be sure to watch HouseholdHacker’s video below.

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We’d love to hear your thoughts on all things home security. Which one of these hacks have you tried? Do you have any of your own that you would like to share? Has your home or hotel room ever been burglarized before?